


The Little Things

by GaleWrites



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Enemies who used to be lovers, Keeping a promise to a friend-turned-enemy even though the promised thing has stopped mattering, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29033718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaleWrites/pseuds/GaleWrites
Summary: In happier days, Arram Draper was Ozorne's best friend and lover. Numair is still a man of his word.
Relationships: Numair Salmalín/Ozorne Muhassin Tasikhe
Kudos: 9
Collections: Bulletproof 20/21





	The Little Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [brightabandon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightabandon/gifts).



> Canon note, since this is Bulletproof- This fic references characters found primarily in the Immortals Quartet and Tempest and Slaughter, written by Tamora Pierce. They're fabulous books, I highly recommend her work in general. The Immortals Quartet audiobooks are free on Spotify, if you have that.

_ “Gods your hair is beautiful.” Ozorne breathed into a young Arram’s ear, the two of them twined around each other in bed.  _

_ Arram blushed. “It’s just hair. It does what it wants. You’re the one with the gorgeous elaborate hairdo.” He idly toyed with one of the many, many beads in Ozorne’s hair for emphasis. _

_ “If I had hair as good as yours,I wouldn’t keep it braided all the time.” Ozorne countered. “Promise me you’ll never cut it.” _

_ “That’s not really sustainable…” Arram mumbled, blushing more. “Eventually it’d start getting seriously in the way.” _

_ Ozorne considered this. “Then let me decide when to cut it. We can’t make any public commitment, but you and I will both know that your long beautiful hair is because you’re mine.” _

_ Arram’s assent was quickly followed with an eager kiss. _

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

“Arram, it’s so good to see you.” Varice told him warmly, once they were in the relative privacy of his room. She flicked bits of magic at the walls, soundproofing the room so they could talk candidly. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

Arram-now Numair, a decade older- smiled tiredly at her. “I never thought I’d see you, either. I was surprised that Ozorne was willing to pardon me. He always hated his toys getting away.”

“You weren’t just a toy to him, you know that.” Varice insisted.

“Do I? He certainly tossed me aside the minute I got in the way of what he wanted.” Numair brushed his long hair out of his eyes tiredly.

Varice stared at his hair for a moment. “You knew how he felt about Siraj. You shouldn’t have tried to stop him so dramatically. You know, your hair’s grown a lot. Didn’t he have it shaved off when you were arrested?”

Numair sighed. “He did. But I like it long.”

Varice wasn’t fooled. “ _ He _ liked it long. Oh, Arram…”

He blushed. “I suppose it’s my way of being true to the man he was, before all of…” He gestured around to indicate the general state of the palace. “This. He was a good man, once.”

Varice, still loyal to Ozorne, said nothing for a long moment. “You deserved better.” She told him finally.   
  
“So did he.” Numair smiled crookedly.


End file.
